BUSINESS

Canton Chamber recognizes success of area businesses, scholarship presented

Edd Pritchard
The Repository

CANTON – The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce honored area small companies on Thursday, presenting the annual Business Excellence Awards and recognizing minority-owned businesses for completing the ELITE program.

The Business Excellence Award Scholarship, presented by Beese Fulmer Private Wealth Management and the chamber, was presented to Zachary Brown, a recent graduate of GlenOak High School.

More:Canton Chamber recognizes seven local companies this week with Business Excellence Awards

Dennis Fulmer, Beese Fulmer chairman and co-founder, and Nicholas T. Perini, vice president, presented the $2,500 scholarship to Brown, the son of Darla and Scott Brown.

In his essay for the "Stay Rational Business Scholarship," Brown discussed the importance of small businesses and how they are needed to help Stark County grow.

More:Stark County Minority Business Association mentoring program graduates first class

This marked the 29th year for the Business Excellence Awards, which recognize companies for growth, longevity, innovation, and consistent community involvement. Awards went to seven companies: Canton Erectors; Canton Towing; ForeverLawn in Nimishillen Township; FoxTrot Aviation Services in Green; Innis Maggiore and OMNI Orthopaedics in Jackson Township; and Powers Oil & Propane in Alliance.

Companies are nominated for the award, and the nominations are reviewed by a chamber committee.

Dennis Saunier, chamber president and chief executive officer, said notifying companies that they have won always is an honor.

"These business owners are so passionate and so committed to what they do everyday," he said.

Twenty companies were recognized for completing the the ELITE program offered through the Stark County Minority Business Association.

Leonard Stevens, the association's president and CEO, said the program helped elevate each of the participating business owners, allowing them to grow. Business owners completed the program in 2020 and 2021.